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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · clip · band · drill · patient · pass · vault · spell

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. band — a music group
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. spell — letters
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. drill — army training
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. vault — a safe
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — wild animals
  13. spell — a short time
  14. band — a ring
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spell — magic
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. clip — to cut
  20. drill — a practice
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com